Windows update will not download updates - stuck at 0% downloading

Anonymous
2010-04-17T03:45:39+00:00

Everytime I start windows update it won't download the updates. The bar keeps on running but nothing downloads and the percentage stays at 0%.

Whats wrong? Anything I can do to fix this?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update

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Anonymous
2011-11-10T19:59:39+00:00

I found a solution to my problem when Windows would search for updates, but then when it started downloading it would stay at 0% forever. I started by stopping the Windows Update service (in my case the service proved to be frozen so I restarted my computer and disabled the service before it starts) and the Application Experience service. After that I went to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and pressed ctrl+a and shift+delete to empty its contents. Mine contained more than 70,000 files so it took a while. I started Application Experience and enabled Windows Update. I let it check for updates and try to download them. It worked perfectly.

Do not worry about deleting important windows files in this case. The contents of SoftwareDistribution is used as a cache and data for Windows Update. When Windows Update starts again it rebuilds the cache repopulating it with up-to-date versions of the files and chewing up a ton of harddisk space again.

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Anonymous
2010-04-23T13:09:40+00:00

sash123,

    If this issue is still happening, then take a look at article: Vista Update stops at stage 3 of 3 

Then let us know the results.

*** edited

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-07-06T21:23:05+00:00

    When I tried this method (that worked great on my desktop) on my laptop, it got back to a many hour download to update, too. But clearing the update directory of files definitely speeds up the computer many fold. Now, on my desktop, for some reason, I have to do this every day first thing, or the computer is clogged and the CPU usage is pegged at 100%. Once I clear that directory of files, the CPU usage goes way down and the computer has decent speed.

    I saw another reference online to two other, different KB updates, that were supposed to speed updates up. Those were software updates—KB3102810 and KB3083710 .I haven't tried those yet myself.

    See https://www.thurrott.com/windows/67305/convenience-rollup-makes-big-difference-windows-7-updating-still-broken

    Amazing that Microsoft puts it customers through this incredible anti-productivity hassle. That's what a monopoly does. If there were another option I could run my specialized scientific s/w on, I'd switch. Used a whole lot of foul language against Microsoft in my day.

    Good luck.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-07-06T20:03:37+00:00

    Clearing the SoftwareDistribution directory worked, but then one has to be patient.

    On my old Windows Vista machine, my first Windows Update after clearing the directory took a whopping TWENTY HOURS of processor time to rebuild its database before it could show which were the new, not-yet-installed updates!

    But it's no longer stuck, so it worked. Thanks!

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-05-30T14:01:30+00:00

    2 steps solved this for me after 2 days of trying to find a solution and trying many, many things.

    First, my CPU usage was pegged at 100% until I cleared the Windows update cache. Check CPU usage by using control-alt-del (hold ctl-alt down and press del). Then click Task Manager, Performance. You will probably see your CPU usage at 100% continually. That blocks everything. To clear it install the following program (which, by the way, is meant to block Win 10 update attempts by Microsoft and does a great job of that)

    GWX Control Panel (Win 10 auto update blocker + update cache clear) http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

    Run it and click the clear update cache button. It takes a minute or two usually. Then check your CPU usage again, and lo and behold it is normal (varying from maybe 10% to sometimes 100%).

    Step two. Go to the following link

    http://www.infoworld.com/article/3058260/microsoft-windows/heres-how-to-significantly-speed-up-windows-7-scans-for-updates.html

    Read it, then download and install the KB updates it refers to. Once those are installed, Windows will update normally. At least it finally did for me. Note that if you don’t clear the update cache first, downloading and installing the update files recommended at this link go into the same, wait forever, nothing happening mode you been experiencing with Win update so far.

    Good luck.

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